- 454
Francis Picabia
Estimate
200,000 - 300,000 USD
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Description
- Francis Picabia
- Mistral
- Signed Francis Picabia (lower left); titled (upper right)
- Oil on canvas
- 35 by 45 3/4 in.
- 89 by 116 cm
Provenance
Francis Lorenzo Everling, Cannes
Sale: Salle Rossini, November 30, 2004, lot 100
Private Collection, Switzerland (acquired at the above sale)
Sale: Salle Rossini, November 30, 2004, lot 100
Private Collection, Switzerland (acquired at the above sale)
Exhibited
Nice, Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain, Picabia et le Côte d'Azur, 1991, no. 42, illustrated in color in the catalogue
Condition
The canvas has not been lined and it is slightly buckled at upper left and lower left. The faint lines of cracking visible throughout are inherent to the artist's technique and original to the piece. A few pindot-sized losses are visible at center right within the ship's sails. Under UV light: certain pigments fluoresce. An uneven layer of varnish is difficult to read through. Overall the work is in very good condition.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The present work belongs to Picabia's so-called transparences, a series of uniquely multi-layered paintings from the 1920s and 1930s. It was during these years, following his experimentation with Dada and abstraction, that Picabia turned away from the aesthetic of shock and looked instead to a kind of renaissance, drawing inspiration from Romanesque frescoes, Renaissance painting and Catalan art. In fact, he would often treat the semi-translucent surfaces of his transparences with glazes and heat, purposely imbuing them with an aged appearance. His selected imagery would often relate to religion or mythology; in the case of Mistral, Picabia illustrates a deliberately ambiguous allegory of the legendary winds of southern France.